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Merrie Jo Pitera, PhD

Senior Jury Consulting & Strategy Advisor

Contact

(913) 486-4159

Expertise

Dr. Merrie Jo Pitera serves as the Senior Jury Consulting & Strategy Advisor at IMS Legal Strategies. She is a psychology and communication expert who specializes in complex litigation and trial consulting. With more than 30 years of experience in the field, Merrie Jo has managed hundreds of cases and understands what is at stake.

Merrie Jo knows how to help IMS clients build impactful case themes and perform at their highest levels. Her areas of expertise include intellectual property, employment, commercial, environmental, transportation, insurance bad faith, and product liability/personal injury litigation. She is a perceptive listener and observer of jury dynamics and sentiments, and she provides clear insights into how they are likely to impact the decision makers in a case. Merrie Jo’s insight and guidance has been deemed “invaluable” by multiple clients.

In addition to being a jury specialist, Merrie Jo prepares witnesses for deposition, trials, arbitration, and congressional hearings. She is a frequent national and international speaker on jury behavior and witness prep methods. She routinely publishes articles in a variety of law journals and publications on jury selection, witness communication strategies, and trial preparation. In February 2016, Merrie Jo published a book entitled Storytelling for the Defense: The Defense Attorney’s Courtroom Guide to Beating Plaintiffs at Their Own Game alongside her co-author, Dr. Barbara Hillmer.

Merrie Jo received a BA in psychology from Clemson University before completing her MA in social psychology and PhD in communication studies (with an emphasis in legal communication) at the University of Kansas. She is a long-time member of the American Society of Trial Consultants.

Select Publications & Presentations

  • Pitera, M.J. (2024). Psychological Considerations & Strategies for Deposition. Lecture to the University of Minnesota Law School Experiential Education Deposition Class 6247, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Pitera, M.J. & Hiley, A. (2024). Choosing the Right Corporate Representative. USLAW Magazine, (Fall), 30-31.
  • Pitera, M.J. (2023). Nuclear Verdicts: Avoiding Corporate Testimony that Makes Jurors Press the Big Red Button. Keynote address for Allied World Panel Counsel Claims Summit, Hartford, CT.
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